Report damns hospital

Hospital ‘organised chaos’, but staff win praise

THE emergency department at the Launceston General Hospital was one of “organised chaos” plagued by ambulance ramping and access block and where makeshift spaces were used during times of crowding, a new report has found. The report revealed “hidden” wait times leading up to patients being triaged which are not officially measured.

THE emergency department at the state’s second-largest hospital was one of “organised chaos” plagued by ambulance ramping and blocked access, and where makeshift spaces were used during times of crowding, a new research report has found.

The report, whose authors include Launceston General Hospital emergency department workers Alex Pryce and Maria Unwin, also revealed “hidden” wait times before patients were triaged which are not officially measured. The study, published this month in the International Emergency Nursing journal, analysed almost 90,000 presentations to the ED in 2016-17 and included researchers conducting realtime observations to map the patient journeys of 382 people.

They described an environment of extreme crowding, highlighting the design of the waiting room and triage area, ramping, staff and patient safety and limitations in mental healthcare as the most problematic issues.

Staff were also observed performing makeshift roles, including support staff acting as “sitters” for involuntary mental health or confused patients.

The lack of available space in the ED led to patients being treated in makeshift spaces, many of which did not have call bells, duress alarms or examination equipment, with concerns raised about compromised patient safety.

But the report said despite the environment, staff demonstrated a high level of professionalism, efficiency and ability to cope under pressure.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows patient wait times in the ED had deteriorated since the time of the study. The percentage of emergency patients who started treatment within the recommended time fell from 72 per cent in 2016-17 to 69 per cent in 2019-20, while treatment of urgent patients reduced 8 per cent.

Health and Community Services Union state secretary Tim Jacobson said key issues, “such as structural design of the LGH ED”, still existed.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian branch secretary Emily Shepherd commended LGH staff for their “professionalism and dedication” in challenging circumstances. “The report does date back a few years, but the issues largely remain the same,’’ she said.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the government had boosted hospital staffing levels, including more than 100 full-time equivalent roles last financial year. She said a patient flow team had been implemented 24 hours a day, and a transit lounge established in 2018 to better manage patients awaiting discharge.

Ms Courtney said the recent state budget also included funding to improve ambulance access to the ED.